10 linemen advanced their education at Nash Community College

Linemen learn skills both inside and outside the classroom at Nash Community College.

Nash Community College this year recognized 13 electric cooperative linemen for completing advanced education work in the college’s Electric Lineman Technology program. Ten received advanced certificates for completing 17 college-level credits, and three completed work for their Associate Degree.

The program includes courses in the classroom and outdoors on a specially-designed training field built by the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives. They learn skills such as overhead line construction, underground line construction and the National Electrical Safety Code. Beyond classes in line work and energy management, courses toward the Associate Degree range from writing and math to critical thinking, computers and communication.

Since the program began in 1998, 16 co-op people have graduated with an Associate Degree. The community college program is supported entirely by the cooperatives but is also attended by linemen from Duke Energy and the municipal electric systems.

Listed are those who completed the work in the spring semester of 2014.